Noble Savage Stereotypes

the main creator of the two traditionally most pervasive stereotypes: the noble savage and the bloodthirsty savage, or more generally and simplistically, the good and bad Indian” (Kilpatrick 2). The bloodthirsty savage is a vicious, animalistic beast, attacking white men and kidnapping white children. The noble savage is a wise, exotic being unfettered by society and at one with nature. Dan Georgakas acknowledges in his essay They Have Not Spoken that the emergence of the noble savage stereotype was an improvement over the rabid savage character, but only at the “lowest level,” as it tells the audience nothing about real Native American culture (Georgakas 26). These two stereotypes grew from their origins in literature to become iconic in all facets of film, and thus the progression of this imagery was natural and likely inevitable. The spread of these ideas caused the widespread of poor treatment towards Native Americans. Hollywood capitalized on the spreading ideas and made absurd amounts of money. Hollywood has
Chicasaw director Edwin Carewe, was also active from 1914 through 1934 (Singer, 16). Other notable films of this period include “The 1925 film Braveheart and the 1929 film Redskin, both of which deal with American Indian male protagonists going to white colleges but ultimately deciding to return to their tribes” (Kvet 94). In Braveheart, the lead is played by actor mixed ancestry actor Rod LaRocque. Another important film is 1930’s The Silent Enemy, set prior to the European takeover of the contemporary United States, which tells the story of a community straying to survive famine and starvation The protagonist is played by Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance, who was of mixed ancestry, the all- Native cast includes actors Chauncey Yellow Robe and Molly Spotted Elk. So one can say that in the beginning of the film industry, Native Americans had a somewhat prominent role in film. As stereotypes increased though, representation